Loose-leaf holder.



l. EIFEL.

LOOSE LEAF HOLDER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV-17| 19H.

1,167,639, Patend. Jan. 11, 1916.

JOSEPH EIFEL, OF CHECAGO, EILLINOIS.

LOOSE-LEAF HOLDER.

treatise.

Application filed November 17, 1911.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JosnPI-r Errnr., a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, in the State oflllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improve ments in Loose-Leaf Holders, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates in general to devices for fastening together loose sheets of paper, and more particularly to devices for fastening such sheets. in a file cover or folder, and has special reference to the provision of an improved, inexpensive and compact form of device.

The principal objects of my invention are the provision of a device of the character referred to which may be readily formed of very thin material to the end that when it is applied to a folder, the increase in the thickness of the folder consequent upon such application and therefore the amount of space such folder occupies in a filing case will be minimized as far as may be; the provision of a holder device which will permit of practically instantaneous separation and replacement of the relatively movable parts when adding or moving sheets therefrom; to accommodate the additional sheets from time to time inserted therein; the provision of a device adapted for the ready removal of parts of the number of sheets held thereby withoutany disturbance of the remainder of such sheets; the provision in a holding device of a plurality of engaging members so oppositely arranged on`a continuous base as to most readily cooperate upon being caused to approach; the provision in a file cover of a ball and socket device for retaining sheets therein upon pressure exerted eXteriorly of such cover, together with such further and additional objects as may hereinafter appear.

Loose sheet and file covers and fastening devices in use at this day,'as known to me, are largely objectionable in one of the two following principal respects, viz. either they lack positively acting means for retaining the sheets therein, or, if provided with such means, are of such great bulk that they cannot be economically used, and especially `are not available for use in covers normally holding but relatively few sheets, on account of the large amount of waste space involved in their use.

In attaining the objects above set forth` "together with certain advantages to be, be,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented dan. 11, 1916.

serial no. 660,821.

low disclosed, and in overcoming the disadvantages and objectionable features mentioned, l have provided the construction illustrated on an enlarged scale in the accompanying drawing, wherein- Figure 1 is a sectional view of a file cover embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the ball element of Fig. 1; Figs. 3 and l are views, similar to those of Figs. 1 and 2, illustrative of another embodiment of my invention and of the socket element; Fig. 5 1s an elevational view of the ball device of Fig. 3. Figs. 6 and 7 are respectively elevational and plan views of a combined ball-andsocket retaining and lengthening member, Fig. 7 being partly in section taken on the line VlI-VH of Fig. 6; Fig. 8 is an elevational view of a modified form of lengthener; Fig. 9 is an elevational view of another form of retaining member; Fig. 10 is a plan view of another form of the socket element; Figs. 11 and 12 are plan views of two forms of the ball and socket device mounted on a unitary base; Fig. 13 is an edge view of the device of Fig. 12; and Fig. lll is a view illustrative of the device of Figs. 12 and 13 applied to a file cover with the devices of Figs. 6 and 8 interposed in operative positions therein.

The tile cover may be of paste-board, cloth or paper of a suitable weight, and the engaging devices should be formed of material as thin as it is feasible to employ, preferably somewhat stiff in order that it may retain ythe form given it, and desirably possessed of a certain amount of resiliency or springiness for reasons which will shortly appear.

Referring first more particularly to Fig. 1, it will be noted that in the embodiment of my invention here illustrated, where 1 have shown my improved loose sheet holder in combination with a folder or iile cover 10, l employ, for the purpose of retaining the loose sheets in the cover, a suitable number of interlocking fastening devices, preferably ball and socket members, 1l and l2.A

For the purpose of fastening the ball member l1 in the filev l0, the file is apertured for the passage of the knob 13 of the ball meinber therethrough as indicated at 14, and to hold the ball member 11 in adjusted position in the file I utilize a plurality of spurs 15 (see Fig. 2). For two purposes, First; to facilitate depression of the exterior flange 16 of the ball member into the cover 10 and thereby avoid projection thereof above the outer surface of the cover, and, second; in aid of the prevention of movement of such ball member on the cover, I form at the edge of the iiange 1G an upturned rim 17. For retaining the ball and socket members in p0- sition and thereby holding sheets of paper which have been properly apertured and inserted around the ball proper or knob 13: I provide on the socket member 12 a plurality of lingers 18 inwardly turned as indicated at 19 and adapted to engage the shoulder 20 formed on the ball, thereby firmly gripping the inserted sheets between the inner surface 21 of the flange 22 and the inner surface 23 of the lile. The flange 22 is formed with a downwardly turned rim 2li preferably positioned opposite the upwardly turned rim 1.7 on the ball member in order to compress the loose sheets therebetween and ovei'come tendency of the sheets toward longitudinal movement relatively to the cover.

Referring now more particularly to Fig.

3, it will be seen that in the embodiment of my invention here shown, the lile cover 10 is apertured for the reception of a socket member 12a constructed similarly to that of Fig. 1, the fingers 1S projecting from the surface 21a being clearly shown in the plan view of Fig. el. lThe socket device 12n is here held in position in the file cover by means of a washer 15a, and the ball device 11a formed similarly to that of Figs. 1 and 2 has a basal liange formed integrally therewith which is attached to the inner side of the cover by means of projections 15 adaptcd to pass through and engage thc outer side of the cover just as in the device of Fig. 1. the projections 15 pass through and enga ge the inner side of the cover. The ball device 11a may alternatively be formed with a split knob comprising oppositely disposed members 25, 25, as shown in Fig. 5, which latter construction aids somewhat in the implacement of the socket upon the ball.

Referring now more particularly to Figs. (i and 7, it will be observedthat I have here illustrated a combined ball and socket lenghening and retaining device 2G adapted to be inserted (in the .position shown) between the members 11a and 12a of Fig. 3, or (by reversing) between the members 11 and 12 of Fig. 1, the said device comprising a. unitary ball 11b, socket 12b and retaining flange 2 1b provided with a downward turned rim 17".

As will be understood on viewing Fig. 8, in cases where the use of a single device 2G does not give the requisite space between the members 11, 12` or 11a-12% and where devices provided with the retaining lianges 21b are not required, one or more members 27 cooperating with the members 11-]2, 11el2a may be used either alone or in conjunction wth one or more of the members 26, the member 27 being similar to the inember 2G save in the omission of the flange.

In Figs. 9V and 10 I have illustrated the details of a pair of cooperating ball and socket devices 11d and 12d, useful' for files containing a considerable volume Yof sheets,V

the ball device 11d being similar to that shown at 11 and 112L save that between the split knob portions 25d and flange 1Gd is interposed an extended shank 2S, and the" socket device 12l being similar to that shown in Fig. 3 except that spurs lfl are employed since it tends to restrain lateral separationV of the sheets owing to the plurality of pairs of coperating devices carried thereby.

As will be apparent upon inspection of Fig. 1f, I have here shown a device coinbinying the principal features of the devices of the preceding figures, a file cover 10f being provided with a base 30a carrying ball and socketmembers 11f and 12f, two of the coinbined lengthening and retainingineinbers26 and one of the members 27 being interposed therebetween. TJpon examination of this figure. it will be easily ascertained that sheets held in any one of the spaces 31, 32 011.33 can readily be removed without disturbance of the sheets contained in any others of such spaces.

It is thought that my invention and the construction and operation of the devices embodying it will, in view of the foregoing description, be fully comprehended without further or more amplified explanation.

Having thus described my invention and illustrated its use, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a device of the character described, in combination with a loose sheet holder, cooperating stemless ball and socket members adapted to be moved freely in all directions relatively to each other and disposed within the holder. and means for connecting them to the holder.

2. A device of the character described comprising, in combination, a loose sheet holder connected at its inner side to interiorly disposed detachable cooperating inseY terlocking devices adapted to engage sheets 3. A Vdevice of the character described.

comprising, in combination, a continuous base connected at its inner side to coperating fianged ball and socket members adapted to engage sheets between the ianges thereof.

4. In a device of the character described, in combination with a loose sheet holder provided with coperating engaging members adapted to retain sheets between portions of the holder, a lengthening member adapted for interposition between and spring engagement with said coperating members, whereby intermediate sheets carried by the holder may be inserted or removed without disturbance of other sheets carried therein.

5. In a device of the character described, in combination with a loose sheet holder provided with coperating engaging members adapted to retain sheets between portions of the holder, a flanged retaining member adapted for interposition between and spring engagement with said coperating members, whereby intermediate sheets carried by the holder may be inserted or removed without disturbance of other sheets carried therein.

6. In a device of the character described, in combination with a loose sheet holder provided with coperating engaging members adapted to retain sheets between portions of the holder, a fianged lengthening and retaining member adapted for interposition between and spring engagement with said coperating members, whereby intermediate sheets carried by the holder may be inserted or removed without disturbance of other sheets carried therein. Y

7. In a device of the character described, in combination with a loose sheet holder provided with coperating engaging members adapted to retain sheets between portions of the holder, a lengthening member and a flanged retaining member adapted for spring engagement with each other and with said coperating members, whereby intermediate sheets carried by the holder may be inserted or removed without disturbance of other sheets carried therein.

8. In combination with a file cover, a loose sheet holder therein comprising coperating ball and socket members adapted to retain sheets between portions of the holder, and a third ball and socket member having yieldingly resistant engagement with said first mentioned members for increasing the space therebetween.

9. In combination with a file cover, a loose sheet holder therein comprising cooperating ball and socket members adapted to retain sheets between portions of the holder, and a third ball and socket member coperating with said first mentioned members and flanged for retaining sheets on one thereof.

10. In combination with a file cover, a loose sheet holder therein comprising cooperating ball and socket members adapted to retain sheets between portions of the holder, and a third ball and socket member coperating with said first mentioned members for increasing the space therebetween and flanged for retaining sheets on one thereof.

1l. A device of the character described comprising, in combination with a unitary folded base provided with a plurality of pairs of coperating engaging devices adapted to hold sheets between the folded surfaces, whereby the sheets are restrained from lateral movement relatively to each other, intermediate flanged `members each provided with yieldingly resistant means for engagement with said first mentioned devices whereby the distance between such devices may be increased.

12. A device of the character described comprising, in combination with a folded base provided with a plurality of pairs of coperating ball and socket members adaptted to hold sheets between the folded surfaces, intermediate members each provided with a ball and a socket portion coperating with said first mentioned members, whereby the distance therebetween may be increased, said intermediate members having yieldingly resistant engagement.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of the two subscribed witnesses.

JOSEPH EIFEL.

Witnesses MARTHA YVESTMAN, PAUL CARPFN TER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner ot Patents. Washington, D. C. 

